Playtesting in the Game Industry
Add to calendarThis tutorial introduces the concept of playtesting - a central component of software development processes in the game industry - which is the process through which players inform the ongoing evolution of a game’s design. The importance of playtesting is derived from the fact that in the game industry, the quality of the software produced is measured in terms of the user’s subjective experience of it. In the tutorial the participants explore the benefits, pitfalls and relevance of playtesting for their business, be it a game company or any other software development operation.
Tutorial Timetable – 90 minutes.
The tutorial is based on active participation of the participants, as can be seen in the following timetable.
5 minutes: Introduction
10 minutes: Sharing participants’ positive and negative experience with games
10 minutes: Presentation of 2D BOY’s playtesting methodology
40 minutes: Two playtesting sessions of 20 minutes each (in pairs, alternating the roles of player and tester)
20 minutes: Reflection, lessons learned and applications of playtesting in other settings
5 minutes: Conclusion
- The participants learn the benefits, pitfalls and relevance of playtesting for their business, be it a game company or any other software development operation.
- The participants practice a specific procedure for playtesting, which unlike traditional playtesting procedures, is almost entirely based on the observation of the playtest session, rather than direct feedback from the player.
- The participants become aware of risk management aspects of playtesting (implying cost reduction) in game development, in addition to quality aspects.